Project Manager, Digitization and Fortification At Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

About the Role

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is seeking a Project Manager, Digitization and Fortification to lead and coordinate the Digitization/Digital Technology (“Digital Quality Assurance Quality Control (QAQC) System”) projects in India. This role will be offered on a 12 months’ fixed term contract basis, subject to availability of funding. You will be based in GAIN’s India office in New Delhi, India.

Reporting to the Head of Programmes and Policy, you will be responsible for leading the coordination of in-country partners, stakeholders, and end-users and in supporting the set-up and implementation of the Digital QAQC System and informing the design of the sustainability of the Digital QAQC System at the production facilities and at the government and monitoring agencies.

The Project Manager will provide consistent feedback between the producers, government, monitoring agencies (the “end users” of the system) the Consortium (the “Developers”) who are developing and building the system so that the system can be continuously refined and adapted based on the needs and feedback at the local level. You will provide hands-on support to users of the system and will be considered the expert/focal point linking the local users of the system on any troubleshooting issues with the Consortium/developers of the system.

Additionally, the project manager would support the GAIN country office and the global fortification team to support activities on the ground aligned to scaling up quality fortified foods including fortified oil, milk, and wheat flour.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Leading and managing relationships and communicating between key local stakeholders in India, Consortium and GAIN
• Maintaining a continuous relationship with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and State FDA to obtain commitment to participation in the project
• Carrying out producer and government interviews on incentives and technology needs assessment i.e., support consortium on carrying out the pilot and scale up at production level on IT current sophistication
• Supporting Consortium in carrying out a needs assessment for government and monitoring agencies on type of information needed for decision-making on fortification programs, mapping of data collected currently at production and market level
• Managing and supporting with installing and setting up software and devices at production and government-level
• Providing hands-on support and training to users of the Digital QAQC system, the devices and software
• Solely responsible for assembling regular meetings with end users of the system to test/demo and gather feedback to relay to Consortium for consistent refinement (Collect feedback from producers, synthesize and report information)
• Actively engaging in writing reports on the use of the Digital QAQC system by different stakeholders for cross-country learning
• Supporting the GAIN Food Fortification project team in the overall management of the fortification project with the India LSFF team
• Actively collaborating with senior leadership, communications, and implementation of all project components including effective performance management of Executing agencies (EA), other sub-contractors and technical consultants
• Visiting the field regularly to ensure that project progress is on track and the risk mitigation plan is up to date
• Ensuring smooth functioning of EAs for the coverage survey on consumption of fortified staple foods at the household level. Visiting states to ensure the quality of the data being collated by EA. Supporting team in finalising the data plan, report writing and dissemination of the results
• Leading and guiding team members to manage project MIS, update activities, expenditures, results and feed updates and presenting project status updates to the QUAD, senior leadership, and donors
• Engaging key stakeholders such as the Department of Food & Civil supplies, State Nutrition Mission and state level food corporations to take forward the fortified edible oil and fortified wheat flour procurement and distribution through government welfare programs

About You

The ideal candidate will have comprehensive experience working across public health/nutrition projects, preferably in an international development environment. You will have experience in implementing technology (IT) solutions for the development sector, including an understanding of the use of QR codes/mobile phone applications. Candidates with experience working with government agencies and fortification would be an advantage.

You will possess excellent project management skills and will be highly flexible and willing to travel locally. The postholder will be a strong communicator with a good command of written and spoken English and local languages in India.

A Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, economics, development economics or related field. Candidates with professional certification in IT solutions would be desirable. You will be Tech savvy with ability to address issues with trouble shooting and technology quickly and have demonstrate competency and experience in setting up digital infrastructure at local agencies, provide training and IT trouble shooting.

About our Offer

The starting salary on offer for this role is from INR 2,074,416 gross salary (plus benefits) per annum, for exceptional candidates GAIN are willing to offer a higher salary based on any additional/relevant experience.

GAIN has a fair and competitive salary structure that allows for annual progression subject to good performance. In addition, GAIN offers a total of 37 days holiday per year (including annual leave, public holidays and additional office closure days), an attractive pension scheme and competitive insurance cover including health, travel and life assurance.

We are committed to the health of our staff, especially in these challenging times, and have developed a programme of wellbeing that includes flexible working, additional leave allowances, wellbeing days, mindfulness coaching and access to independent and confidential counselling.

GAIN also has a strong commitment to professional development. We will support you to grow in your career through both formal and informal training, and are committed to providing opportunities through internal recruitment, secondments and promotion. All of this is delivered in a supportive and collaborative environment.

About GAIN

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Due to COVID19, conflict in Ukraine and climate change, malnutrition and hunger have worsened significantly since 2019, reversing a decade of progress. There is growing recognition that our food systems need to change if we are to reverse these trends.

GAIN’s Strategy aims to transform food systems to make healthier diets from sustainable food systems accessible to all people and especially those whose are most vulnerable to shocks. By 2027, we aim to improve the access of 1.5 billion people to nutritionally enhanced staple foods, improve the access of 25 million people to healthier diets, and support positive food system change in 10 countries. This is bold and complex, and the only way to achieve this is to work together with partners including governments, businesses, and civil society at the country and global level. These goals, and the ways of achieving them, build on our twenty-year legacy of transforming people’s lives with improved nutrition through concerted action and effective policy change.

Our Working Culture and Environment

We provide a flexible working environment that includes a combination of home and office working opportunities through our global hybrid working policy. This encourages our staff to have a healthy work-life balance and increases staff motivation, enriches employee wellbeing, and improves performance and productivity.

All of our positions are based in one or more of GAIN’s designated offices as stated on our job advertisements. Successful candidates will be based in one of GAIN’s country offices and must have the existing right to live and work within a reasonably commutable distance of the relevant city / cities in which the role is advertised. Please note, that GAIN does not sponsor working visas and relocations.

GAIN reserves the right to withdraw an offer of employment for candidates who are considered to ineligible under the above conditions during or after the recruitment process.

Applicants must be currently based and have the existing right to live and work in the New Delhi, India region to be eligible to apply for this position.

This advert closes on 31st January 2024. Early applications are encouraged. GAIN reserves the right to close this advert early should we receive suitable candidates ahead of the closing date.

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition is committed to equality of opportunity and creating an inclusive environment where diversity is valued. We are keen to reflect the diversity of our society at every level within our organisation and therefore welcome applications from talented and committed people from all backgrounds, representing the diverse societies we operate in.